


The Thought of Air

by ThatSnowMoon



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: AU, Blood Magic, F/M, Fluff, Kylo Ren is Not Nice, Like...glacial pace, Original Universe, Reylo - Freeform, Slow Burn, air magic, dark fluff?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24427234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatSnowMoon/pseuds/ThatSnowMoon
Summary: AU WorldRey is about to age out of the Academy of Wind, a training center for youths with Air Magic, and is about to be selected for her service position.Kylo Ren is a former General in the Order of Keil, the ruling class of Blood Hunters, also called Darkbloods. He is an intolerable man with no wife, no kids, no real friends, and no social skills...but he does like to host large parties at his very large house.(Summary will be updated as it becomes more clear to me where this is going :) )
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1/Pilot

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! (...I'm probably just talking to myself at this point LOL)
> 
> ...I don't think I've written a fic like this since I wrote one for NaNoWriMo over a decade ago...
> 
> But I've really been inspired to start writing again since quarantine, and I've had ideas floating in my head about this world for MONTHS now. I've been building this world for a larger original story idea, but I thought it would be fun to live in and explore the world a bit first before committing to the bigger story. 
> 
> This plot is loosely based on The Sound of Music- at least to start-, but I have no set plan on number of chapters or honestly anything else, and we'll just kind of....see what happens?? If it goes in a completely different direction, that's what'll happen, haha!  
> 
> 
> -ThatSnowMoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Naryn! 
> 
> This is the "Pilot" chapter- it's short, but hopefully it's an okay introduction to some of the quirks of the world.

The mountain air is so clear and fresh today. Rey stretches her arms back, basking in the warm summer sunlight, eyes closed, breathing heavily. The sound of a bird flits across her ears from behind; the dribbles of a small creek sputter off to her right. She is finally alone. Rey lets loose a breath- this, and only this, is perfection.

Today’s run through the mountains near the Academy had been particularly treacherous. The trees and the plants have been growing all spring without anyone coming out to to trim down the brush. Stupid budget cuts. Rey winces at a mild pain near her knee, but chooses to ignore it, instead focusing on the brilliance of the mountain side in the sun.

It’s not very often that Rey is able to sneak away like this in the middle of a weekday. Normally she’s got chores to do, or someone to help. There are so many younger children at the training center. Rey is one of the older ones- actually, the oldest. Only a couple weeks away from aging out of the system and being selected for a position. Two weeks until she’s out of here, finally able to make her own life and follow her own path. Within reason of course. She’ll have to serve a Blood Hunter, but she’s known about that since arriving at the Academy many years ago.

Most of the time, unless they’re paired up with a particularly ruthless Blood Hunter, Air Folk are allowed their own free time when it’s not the work day, and Rey has been looking forward to that small sliver of peace for years: Opening the door to her own place after a long day of service, and smelling the food she has left slow-cooking all day. Sitting on a beat-up but incredibly comfortable couch that she paid for with her own money while she eats dinner and re-reads her favorite books.

Rey’s breathing slows and calms as she slowly slides onto her back, resting her head on a short stump from a tree that had come down in a storm several years ago. Time had softened it into a perfect pillow for afternoon naps. 

Maybe she’ll be chosen for something exciting- like a pilot that gets to fly between the big cities. She’d be good at that. Or maybe an officer or crew member on a boat. Something adventurous. Something that will let her use her power to make a difference on Naryn. Rey feels the restless tingle creep up her legs as she thinks about the kinds of positions should could get that would force her to stay in one place: a cook at a manor house, or a school teacher. She can’t stand staying in one place for too long. She likes to be on the move. So naturally, growing up at the Academy of Wind has been as agonizing as it has been thrilling.

Rey stares absentmindedly up into the sky. The purple and copper hues of the vast canvas above her are exceptionally beautiful this afternoon. A cloud grazes past the sun, temporarily disturbing the warm blanket of light over Rey’s face and arms. She snarls at the cloud and holds up a hand straight into the air above her face. As if she were swiping an app on her coms device, she flicks her hand to the right until the cloud is whisked out of the way and the sun peaks back out. Pleased with herself, Rey closes her eyes, becoming peaceful again.

The range of her power expanded again recently, but Rey hasn’t told her instructor. She’d just push Rey harder in her lessons, and with the weather being so good right now, and how close she is to being finished with her schooling? Yeah, that’s absolutely not happening, Rey smirks as she drifts in and out of consciousness, the warmth of the sun lulling her into sleep.

—

Rey inhales deeply, once again becoming aware of the earth around her. The cool breeze floating across her sun-kissed skin, ruffling the edges of the shapeless dress she has to wear as her school uniform. The grass cool against her fingers; the dirt underneath wedging itself firmly into her fingernails. Rey sighs, but can’t bring herself to care in the moment. She’ll have to clean that up later before the service starts.

_The service!_

Rey’s eyes open with a jolt and she looks down at the com device sitting beside her. The hologram is projecting a halfway gone sun. Rey swears loudly. “You’ve GOT to be KIDDING ME!” She roars as she grabs the maddening device- along with the clump of grass and dirt around it- and launches herself into the air, flying back to the Academy of Wind. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey is...a lot to handle.
> 
> Also there's a ritual.
> 
> And a mysterious stranger ;) (WHO COULD THAT BE, I WONDER)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cats, friends- it's been a while. I haven't had the brain space to think about this fic for a loooooong time, but I dug it out this weekend and WHABAM, suddenly it's 3000 words long. I had about the first 800 or so finished in...yikes... June? 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

Rey lands roughly on the roof of her dormitory, and quickly crawls in through the open window. While she’s been able to fly for years, Rey’s never been able to master anything resembling a graceful landing technique.

“Rey, where were you?! We’re going to be late for the service!” a short girl with black hair pulled back into a short ponytail snaps at Rey.

“Rose, chill. I’m here now.”

“And you’re a mess....everywhere!” Rose looks Rey up and down. “Did you cut yourself? Your knee is bleeding!”

Rey looks down and sure enough, a trail of blood has been making its way down her leg. And her skin is covered in dirt, gravel, and grass stains. She walks over toward her bed and steps on the heel of her shoe to pry it off her foot, grabbing onto her bedpost for balance, and failing to keep the mess on her shoes. Dirt covers the rug next to her bed. Another thing to clean up later.

Rey sighs. “You know I like to go running in the mountains, Rose. And you also know that I’m not the most coord-”

“And YOU,” Rose walks over and jabs a finger into Rey’s shoulder. “know what they do to trainees who get caught going out of bounds without permission."

Rey nods, her eyes unable to meet Rose’s. Last year, they snuck out late at night to meet up with a couple of friends to fly around in the mountains, near where Rey had taken her nap earlier today. Everything had gone flawlessly...until they saw their Head Principal, Holdo, waiting for them along with all of the instructors by the edge of the school grounds when they returned. Rey had never felt more suffocated and humiliated than when they suppressed her magic for a week.

"And-” Rose jabs her finger into Rey's shoulder a second time. "AND you know you are performing your ritual today! You KNOW they're probably expecting you to be there even EARLIER than you think." Rose is also right about the ritual. Rey has been practicing for weeks now- getting every step just right, using her magic to enhance the movements in just the right places. All to please....someone. The professors have never exactly told the students who or what the ritual is for. A deity they need to please? Maybe whatever force governs their magic? For something to do because it looks cool? Honestly, Rey has no idea- it's just something they've always done when someone is about to age out of the Academy. And they’re always different for everyone. 

Some rituals take minutes, and involve a few gusts of wind blowing around someone while music plays, and others feel like a storm is being conjured inside the Temple. With the moves Rey has been practicing, she’s not sure what the professors have in mind for her ritual, though she’s been given big sweeping movements set to music that she feels in her chest. Every day she comes home from practice with aching limbs and a pounding headache.

“Go get cleaned up. I’ll think of some excuse to give Holdo.” Rose rolls her eyes and turns away grabbing her com device on her way to sit on her own bed across the room.

Rey takes off her other shoe and stretches her toes, putting her shoes in a cubby under her bed for now. She grabs her shower kit, and walks over towards Rose.

“You, Rose,” Rey smiles and nearly puts a hand on her shoulder, but Rose gives her dirt-covered hand a scathing look. “are the best roommate I’ve ever had.”

“Go!” Rose smacks Rey’s shoulder, also smiling.

—

Rey steps out of the hot steam of the shower, and waves her hand over her body, conjuring a breeze to dry herself, ignoring the towel on the rack next to the door. The breeze she conjures is biting cold in contrast to the hot steam. Shivering in the uncomfortable briskness, Rey waves her other hand over her head, violent gusts of wind blowing her hair in every direction as she tries to dry herself as fast as she can. She throws on a fresh uniform and barges back into her bedroom, slamming the door off its hinges and into the wall with a mere flick of her wrist. Rey looks at her hands as if they belonged to someone else. She really should talk to Head Principal Holdo about the new depth of her power. It’s getting harder to keep it under control.

Rose is sitting on her own bed swiping the air over her com device, likely checking on posts from their other friends. She looks up at the noise, takes one look at Rey, and howls with laughter. She doesn’t notice the door.

“Oh my God, Rey, don’t move.” Rose swipes her hand up, floating her Com and makes a gesture. Rey hears a faint click, and sees a small flash.

“ROSE. TICO.” Rey raises her voice. “What did you just...do.” Rey whispers, lifting an eyebrow.

“Rey, you HAVE to see yourself. You look like you just hung upside down in a cave for hours. It’s ridiculous. Honestly girl, I need to teach you my secret to wind styling.”

“Rose, the way you do hair is an art. You’re an artist. I’m an unteachable mess. You said so yourself.” Rey shrugs and drags her fingers through her hair. They get stuck an inch from her scalp.

“When did I say that” Rose scrunches her her eyebrows toward her nose.

“Last week.” Rey flashes a smile at Rose and pulls her fingers out of her hair. She walks back into the bathroom to find a brush.

“Rey,” Rose sighs. “Come here, I’ll untangle it. I don’t want to be more late to the service than we already are.” Rose’s eyes finally land on the door that Rey ripped off its hinges. “We’re also going to talk about that later”.

Rey follows her gaze and sighs.

—

“She said she would be here” an impatient voice calls out. Rey and Rose, who are currently sprinting down an abandoned hallway of the Temple basement, hear the voices and stop dead in their tracks. It’s one thing to be late to a service, but another to be caught running in the halls...while late to a service. The voice is coming from the intersection ahead. Rey can see their shadows flickering on the wall in the candle light. "She knows how vital she is to our service today. We've told her how many times? It’s her own ritual for gods sakes. She should know!”

“I mean, it is Rey we’re talking about. We all know she’s not the most...reliable person” A second voice chimes in, light and airy, the speaker almost sounds bored. Rose looks at Rey apologetically and nudges her to stand closer to the wall, out of view of anyone who might walk by the intersection ahead.

“Oh be kind. She may be on her way out of here, but she’s still one of the kids. We swore to protect and train her, just like everyone else” says a third deep and raspy voice. Rey thinks she can tell who is gathered ahead talking about her, and scowls. Rose elbows her sharply in the ribs and Rey hisses in annoyance. ‘Do you WANT to get caught?’ Rose mouths to her, and Rey shakes her head. Definitely not.

"I know, I know, but it's so difficult to protect someone who doesn't want to be protected." says the impatient voice.

"And to train someone whose mind is clearly somewhere else all the time." says the airy voice. The other voices groan in agreement.

A sudden noise sounds from somewhere else in the basement, like a rock falling into a body of water, echoing through the system of hallways; bouncing off the walls. All three voices stop, and their shadows freeze in place. Rey can imagine their eyes narrowing, trying to place the sound, assessing if it's a threat they need to worry about. As the echoes die down, Rey quietly lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. She looks at Rose, who shrugs. Sometimes old buildings make noises, and the Temple is one of the oldest buildings on Naryn.

"Like I was saying, it's so difficult to protect someone who doesn't want to be protected. I know it's our duty, but she chooses to go out of bounds. She chooses to go against our rules, and we can't keep rewarding that behavior" continues the airy voice.

“I agree. Nobody else we've ever taught has such a blatant disregard for the rules. We can’t treat her like a child anymore. She’s about to age out.” says the impatient voice. With this, Rey's suspicions are confirmed. Of course they would almost run into the 3 head instructors on their way to the service. Of course. Two of the three have made Rey’s life completely miserable the past couple years. The third, the man with a raspy voice has usually been someone Rey can rely on to be on her side when she gets into trouble. He is convinced Rey has “potential”. Whatever that means.

"She is one of the most talented students we've ever had-" the raspy voice man chimes in, and the comment makes Rey’s cheeks flush. She’s glad her face is obscured by shadows so Rose doesn’t notice.

“And she needs to know what’s going to be expected of her on the other side of this campus! She doesn’t know what kind of service is lined up for her. She won't get by on talent. Not where she's headed.” says the airy, bored voice.

“We’ve not been told what her assignment is going to be. How do you know?” the raspy voice scoffs.

“I’ve heard rumors.”

“Oh, please tell us.” says the first voice, quietly. Rey sees one of the shadows move closer to the group, leaning in as if proximity and hushed voices could stop the sound from echoing down the hallway.

“Well, I’ve heard that he’s-”

In that moment Rey decides she doesn’t want to hear rumors about her future, and steps out from the wall. She marches down the hall towards the group of professors, feet making as much noise as they can. Rose stands, mouth open and sighs loudly, “I hate it when she does this”.

—

Rey and Rose are seated in the back of the cavernous Temple, separated by the instructor with the raspy voice, and with the other two professors on either side. They had gotten in a lot of trouble for being late, and possibly in more trouble for interrupting the conversation between the professors. In addition to detention, they are to be supervised throughout the remainder of the service.

Rose is sitting with her arms crossed, and Rey is surprised there isn’t steam coming out of her ears. She looks furious. And she should be. They could have waited, or they could have taken a different way to the temple instead of through the basement. Technically the basement wasn’t off limits, but students had no real purpose to be down there, and both Rey and Rose were already treading on thin ice for being late.

The raspy voiced professor next to Rey puts his hand on her shoulder. "Get up, it's time." Rey stands along with her professor, who keeps his hand on her shoulder, his grip remaining firm. 

"And now," says Head Principal Holdo’s voice from the front of the cavernous room, "we recognize Rey, who will be performing her ritual today. Rey, if you'll join us up at the front."

Rey sharply shrugs off the hand clamped to her shoulder as she lifts into the air and floats from her seat all the way to the front of the room. She lands, a little too harshly for her Principal's approval- Rey can tell because she winces, barely. Rey moves into the marked circle in the large open space at the front of the room and gets into position, one hand closed into a fist over her heart, and one hanging loosely by her side. She takes a slow breath in, feeling her lungs inflate- activating the deep well of magic that is still so new to her. As she breathes out, the magic flows from her lungs and spreads to her fingers, her toes- extending outwards. Rey can see it reaching past her fingertips, though she knows it’s something only her eyes can see. Rey’s magic shows itself to her as a rippling light, resembling sheer fabric blowing in a breeze. Almost like wings. She sometimes wishes that she could let others see her magic how she does. 

Music begins and Rey’s body moves without thinking. She’s practiced the ritual so many times, it’s instinct. The magic guides her, and whatever grace she can’t muster for her landings, she has now found in her movements. Rey’s hands glide in front of her face in a sweeping motion, and she extends her arms out wide, as if to show off the wings only she can see. She leans back in offering towards the sky, and with a small bend of her knee launches into the air. When most people would have come back to the ground, she hovers in the air motionless except for her breath, which is deep and steady- keeping her magic constant; Defying gravity and controlling air itself.

Below her, the professors and Head Principal Holdo are lining up on the edge of the circle. Their hands are outstretched, and they’ve begun chanting in low voices that sound like whispered breath, undulating out of time with the music. Rey remembers to keep her focus on the music, and continues her dance. She brings her arms to her left and in a sweeping motion, brings them forcefully to the right. Rey rolls over in the air, spotting her turn and immediately repeats the action. Again and again she flips until she completes the circle, facing towards the front of the temple. Rey’s arms raise up into the air, and she flicks her hands as they reach out fully extended above her. A burst of wind erupts from her fingertips, causing the wind chimes fixed to the ceiling above her to ring out, and drawing gasps from the crowd. The chanting below Rey grows louder, fighting the music for the crowd’s attention. 

The crowd joins in, and the whispers overtake the music. Rey feels the whispers on the back of her neck and as they intertwine with the wind coming from her fingers, twisting like vines around each funnel, and then around her fingers, absorbing into her skin. She feels them make their way to her lungs as her heart starts to race and her breath begins to speed up. Rey’s vision begins to narrow as she loses control of her surroundings. This wasn’t mentioned as part of the ritual. This isn’t supposed to happen, is it? The vines wrap around her lungs and sink in, seeking out the source of Rey’s magic. Rey feels like she can’t breathe, and she gasps for air. The wind has died out from her fingers, and she’s sure that the vines are the only reason she hasn’t fallen back to the ground. 

Rey opens her eyes and finds herself facing the back of the hall. Seated in the upper balcony, alone, is a large man with dark flowing hair and broad shoulders . His arms are crossed and he’s staring at Rey with a gaze that makes her wonder why he’s so angry with her. His mouth is fixed in a scowl that looks so natural on his face she wonders if he was just born that way. As their eyes connect, the man clenches his fist. The vines in and around Rey’s lungs squeeze, forcing all of the air out in one quick breath. She gasps again as her vision fades to black.

—

Rey wakes up back in her seat, sandwiched between the same two professors as before. Rose is staring at her, eyebrows raised, a panicked look in her eyes. “Are you okay?” she mouths. Automatically Rey nods her head once to appease Rose, though she isn’t actually sure she is okay. What happened to her? How did the ritual end? Was that supposed to happen? Who was that man seated in the balcony who quite literally took her breath away? 

Questions swirl in her mind but Rey’s thoughts keep floating back to the last part of the conversation she heard before marching down the hallway. She didn’t want to hear rumors about her placement, but she does try to put some pieces together, especially after what just happened. Maybe this man has something to do with it. She glances up to the professors on either side of her. Their eyes are wide, gazes fixed ahead, as if afraid to be caught looking elsewhere in the room. As if afraid to have their eyes wander to the balcony behind them, where an angry man with powerful magic probably still sits.

‘She needs to know what’s going to be expected of her on the other side of this campus! She doesn’t know what kind of service is lined up for her.” she hears that bored voice swirl in her head, circling around on repeat. The person who that voice belongs to is sitting on her left, her long and bony elbow keeping steady contact with Rey’s side, as if Rey would just float away if she didn’t. What did she mean by that? “she doesn’t know what kind of service is lined up for her.” Rey tries to remember the woman’s tone as she said it, but if she tries to think about it with any inflection other than the bored one she knows, it doesn’t sound right. So much for context clues. Does it have something to do with Angry Balcony Magic Man? The hair on the back of Rey’s neck tingles at the thought. He’s powerful. And dangerous.

The only thing Rey has figured out for sure is that whoever she’ll be serving thinks that punctuality and rules are important. She smiles to herself, amused, despite her other growing suspicion. Whoever this person is that she’s been assigned to...they don’t know what they’re in for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for humoring my little side hobby! :)
> 
> I'm new to this whole fic community here, and I really don't know anyone, so feel free to say hi in the comments or find me on twitter: @ThatSnowMoon_
> 
> As of this posting, I literally have 0 followers, which is fine because I mostly just lurk, but I'll be putting out updates about this fic and tweeting about other fandom stuff as well.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it to the end, thank you for reading!!
> 
> Let me know what you think! Or if you're interested in helping me proof-read or peer edit or anything let me know! I don't know anyone in the community yet, so I don't really have anyone to help me do any of these things.
> 
> I'm on twitter as @ThatSnowMoon_
> 
> I don't tweet much, but I lurk a lot. :)
> 
> -ThatSnowMoon


End file.
